Starbucks has never seemed to have any worry about reaching their target market. Over the years the name has proven to speak for itself. Specialty coffee drinks seems to be that one luxury that people keep holding onto even in a time of economic struggle.
The type of segmentation that they use, as slight as it is, would be demographic. Though they will always strive to be the place for everyone they still have a specific group that they will reach more for. This is determined with demographic segmentation. Age plays a huge factor in determining this company's marketing mix. You will see your occasional tween in one of the many different stores throughout the world, but their main conquest are people age 20-40. This includes students as well as business people. It is marketed to the people who actually need caffeine in their daily routine.
In addition to their segmenting strategy they also have a targeting strategy. I briefly went over it in the last paragraph. Starbucks uses undifferentiated targeting. Though they have their ideal target market they still understand that in order to be a better more successful business they must look at the picture as a whole. The definition states: "essentially adopts a mass-market philosophy, viewing the market as one big market with no individual segments." In this type of business you are not going to be able to make every individual happy. That is why you must market yourself for everyone as a whole. Not to say that it is that way for everyone; but the field that Starbucks falls under, food and drink services, you must have a undifferentiated targeting strategy.
Starbucks has their main idea (undifferentiated targeting) and their sub plot (demographic segmentation). Both of these philosophies work for this company and work in harmony under these circumstances.
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